Imagine a region where:

• All residents have access to opportunities such as good jobs, real transportation choices, safe and stable housing, a good education, a range of parks and natural areas, vibrant public spaces, and healthful, regionally produced foods.
• The benefits and burdens of growth and change are equitably shared across our communities.
• All residents and communities are involved as full and equal partners in public decision-making.

In a sustainable and equitable region all of these things would be true, yet we know that equity is not a reality for all of our communities. The Coalition for a Livable Future undertook the Regional Equity Atlas Project to advance equity—the right of every person to have access to opportunities necessary for satisfying essential needs and advancing their well-being—as a key component of the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan region's approach to development.

Why is it important?
The Portland region is widely recognized as a leader in sustainable development. Deserved as this reputation may be, it has a soft underbelly: like most places, the Portland region’s planning approach tends to focus on places or people, rather than striking a balance between the two. The consequence? Too often, “success” results in physical improvements—pretty buildings, great parks, new transit, places to gather and so forth—that some people can enjoy, while other people get left behind. In other words, questions of equality get ignored.

The Coalition for a Livable Future initiated the Regional Equity Atlas Project in response to its members’ assessment that equity and its relationship to sustainable development was not generally understood by the public and policymakers. Yet, all agreed that equity is a core component of sustainability and should be a prominent element of our regional approach to managing future growth and development.

Our “Trail Guide” to Advancing Equity
Advancing equity is no easy task; so we broke it down into three basic steps:

1. Research
   The first step was to paint a picture of equity conditions in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan region today. To do this, we partnered with Portland State University to create an atlas—The Regional Equity Atlas. By measuring access to opportunities like affordable housing, transit, parks and grocery stores, the Atlas illustrates which people and places have the best access and which ones have the worst access to these important assets. With this information in hand, we can begin to grapple with how to distribute the burdens and benefits of growth more fairly, and how to use growth-management strategies to reduce inequities in the region.
   
   
2. Educate & Organize
   Step two is to share the Atlas and the results of the research with the community and get their input on solutions. Our research shows inequities our region faces, but we need the community, especially those who have historically been left out of planning debates and decision making, to help us determine what actions we should take to address these challenges.
   
   
3. Take Action
   The third step is to take action. Using the research and feedback we collected from the community, we have developed an Equity Action Agenda. The plan outlines regional equity policy initiatives and is our blueprint for ensuring that future development is fair for all communities. With equity at the fore, we can make the greater Portland-Vancouver area a resilient, prosperous, and multi-cultural region, one whose exceptional quality of life is accessible to all who live in it.